The Office: Vegas Vacation
by Jonalyn
Summary: A depressed Jim Halpert finds solace in Las Vegas... and returns to Scranton with much more than he bargained for. Rated for language.
1. Part 1

**The Office: Vegas Vacation**

"Hey." Pam said softly as Jim passed her desk on his way out. She took note of his appearance; stubble had appeared on his normally smooth face. His hair -normally mussed- was especially disheveled. His dress shirt was crisp and ironed, but his tie hung loosely, not against his neck like usual. As if by magic, his sad eyes seemed to gleam, pained upon even hearing her voice.

He paused and reluctantly made eye contact. "Hey," he whispered.

She swallowed hard. "You heading out?"

He focused on the dish of jellybeans that sat atop her desk. "Yep." It was a short reply, but easier than continuing the formalities.

"I hope you have a good time."

It seemed the formalities would continue, no matter what he did. His icy gaze remained fixed on the candy as he muttered a distant, "Thanks". When it seemed she would finally be silent, he began to leave.

"Hey," she called out as he reached the door. He met her stare a final time, and it nearly broke her heart in two. She hated to see him upset, and it was with all her will that she forced herself to remain seated. She wanted nothing more than to hold him, to kiss him, to whisper that everything would be all right... but she needed to be strong. For herself, of course.

But most of all, for Jim.

She bravely put her most encouraging smile on her face. "Just be safe, all right?"

He didn't answer, but nodded curtly, his lips pressed firmly together. Swinging his leather bag over his shoulder, he walked away, disappearing behind the heavy wooden door. A physical barrier at last between them, Jim let the smallest tear stream down his cheek, but swiped it away before it had even run its course.

* * *

**Pam**

"I really hope Jim has a good time in Vegas. I know these past few months have been... hard on him." She forced smile and a nonchalant shrug. "But I know it will be okay... right?"

* * *

**Jim**

"I worked really hard this past year and earned a trip for two to Maui... and since there are no longer two, I traded that trip in for a single ticket and hotel stay in Vegas... I don't know; maybe I figured if I were surrounded by thousands of drunken strangers, I wouldn't feel... so alone."

* * *

The trip out of Harrisburg International was one of silence and self-isolation. It was an attitude that remained unbroken as the plane landed in Nevada, just as the sun was setting. He tried not to look at the brilliant oranges and pinks; she loved the sunsets, and the last thing he wanted was to think about her. Oddly, thinking about her was the only thing that seemed worthwhile anymore.

Jim silently pulled his luggage off the carousel and headed to the car rental. To his dismay, he learned that the Mustang GT he reserved had been pulled from the lot; his replacement was a Sebring convertible. The look of pained irony on his face said it all, but found itself verbalized by a single, deadpan statement.

"Everywhere I go, Scranton finds me," he said. Then, with only slight pause, he accepted the keys to the car and allowed an employee to lead him to the lot. Within minutes, Jim was heading towards the bright city ahead, where casinos and booze promised to help him forget...

...If only for a little while.

* * *

In only a short time, Jim found himself in one of the luxury suites of a fairly prominent hotel. The design and decorations were lush and elaborate; exotic flowers of unknown origins seemed to spill out of their ceramic homes. Above the king size bed, the ceiling was tiled with full length, gold-framed mirrors.

As Jim saw them, he cracked a smile, the first in a long time. "Kinky," he remarked, then placed his luggage on the bed and began to unpack. It was a process that only lasted a few minutes, as his stay was only four days. He hung up his dress shirts; the rest of the clothes were placed in the gold dresser's several dressers. By the time he'd finished, it was nine-thirty at night.

He took a long shower in the ornate bathroom, letting the hot water rinse him clean; he envisioned it relieving his stress and heartbreak, though that seemed unlikely at best. When some time had passed, he got out of the shower and dried off. Tonight, he would shave for the first time in two weeks. Within minutes, the stubble was gone. He moved onto his hair. So often, he let it do whatever it felt like. Not tonight. Rinsing his hands, he ran his wet fingertips down the sides and where his hair parted. He smoothed it away from his face and behind his ears. Lastly, he dressed himself in a light blue shirt and dark jeans. After trying different styles out, he left the shirt untucked and unbuttoned, revealing the plain white beater beneath it. He rolled the cuffs up to just below his elbows, and slipped into black Chuck Taylors. Grabbing a wad of cash from his wallet, he shoved it into his pocket, then took a final look at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

He didn't even look like Jim Halpert. Jim Halpert had happy eyes, and was quick to smile. Jim Halpert would never wear his shirt unbuttoned, and would certainly never tuck his hair behind his ears. Jim Halpert wouldn't choose Las Vegas for his vacation; the real Jim Halpert would be much too sensible.

But who was Jim Halpert anymore? The one person who'd made him who he was... was no longer at his side. What was left of him was just an empty shell, a distorted reflection... a cheap imitation of the man he'd once been...

First thing was first, he decided. He needed a drink. He couldn't deal with remembering anymore... it would be his downfall yet, he was sure.

* * *

Booze was easy to find. The scent of it met him as he entered the hotel lobby. The casinos were already packed. He grabbed a beer and downed it quickly, then converted some of his cash to chips.

Jim scoped out the tables. People stood by watching as the players gambled away amounts from a few bucks to a few thousand. The craps table seemed to be a popular choice, as did roulette. He didn't even go near the poker tables; there were memories there.

Hell, who was he kidding? There were memories everywhere he looked. Next to the black jack, he saw a woman in a blue dress. She'd worn a blue dress on the most important night of his life. He could still remember the way it made her eyes shine, the way the material felt in his hands as he drew her close and kissed her; he could still feel her lips, and the way she tasted...

"Damn it." He said to himself, and quickly withdrew from the casino. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. God, why had he come here? Why, of all places, did he choose Vegas? It was just going to make him remember...

Then again, he was pretty sure wherever he went, he would remember something. Be it the way her hair shone, the way her eyes sparkled, or something as simple and small as the sound of her breathing...

Jim returned his chips and walked quickly to the hotel bar. Taking a seat, he asked for a drink.

"What kind of drink?" The bartender pressed.

He waved his hand and revealed a large bill. "Anything heavy, and keep it coming."

"You got it sir," the tender said politely and pulled out a small glass. He poured Jim a shot, which he downed without a blink. "Again." He poured a second; it was gone as it reached the counter. Jim slammed the glass down. "Again." The bartender hesitated; he started to see where this was going, but Jim was adamant. "I said again!" He exclaimed, holding the shot glass out.

Just then, a new customer came and sat beside Jim. Seizing the opportunity to let Jim calm down, the bartender gave the woman his attention. "Can I help you, miss?" He asked.

"Two shots and a vodka tonic." She said coolly. As the barkeep prepared her drinks, she glanced over at Jim. He noticed that she had two mascara streaks streaming from pale blue eyes, and down the side of her face; her light brown hair was messy, and had been pulled away from her face in a low ponytail. She caught his stare, and quickly turned to her dainty purse. Removing a powder, she covered the stains quickly. She snapped the compact shut as her drinks arrived.

Without hesitation, the lady tossed back both shots.

"Rough night?" Jim asked, then held out his glass absently to the bartender. With great reluctance, the man filled it; Jim downed it quickly.

"You too, apparently." The woman remarked, then took her third shot. As she set the glass on the table, she said, "They just don't make alcohol strong enough."

"You can say that again."

"They just don't make alcohol strong enough."

He laughed; it was clear the alcohol was beginning to impair him. He extended his hand to her. "Jim Halpert."

She took his hand with her's. "Kelsey Crane. What you drinking for?" Before he answered, she ordered a fourth shot. He watched as she gulped it down, then spoke.

"My girlfriend dumped me." He answered.

"Lame."

"Yeah... what about you?"

Kelsey sighed, then shook her head with a slight laugh. "Trip with my best friend... and his girlfriend."

Jim shrugged. "That doesn't sound so bad."

She tossed a sidelong glance at him. "Did I mention I'm in love with him?"

"Ouch." He remarked, and she nodded. "That's gotta hurt."

"Well, it don't tickle, that's for damn sure." She looked at the empty shot glasses in front of her. "What about you? This girlfriend, why'd she dump you?"

It felt odd, pouring out his heart to a complete stranger. Then again, she was on her way to inebriation, as was he; in all likeliness, neither of them would remember in the morning. So, after ordering his own vodka tonic and taking a sip, he opened up.

"She found out she had stage four endometriosis and would most likely not be able to have children... so she felt that she should give me time to decide whether I wanted to be in a relationship where there would be no children. So far..." he took another sip of his drink, "it's been six months."

Kelsey shook her head sadly. "Did you talk to her about adoption?"

He nodded. "She wouldn't hear of it; she said it wasn't the same." He scratched his chin absently, staring into his glass. "So... I let her walk. And if I try to talk to her about getting back together, she says it's too soon." He looked up at Kelsey. "Sometimes I wonder if she even wants to be with me anymore."

Kelsey put her hand on Jim's wrist. "I'm sure she does. You just gotta give her time."

"I have... and I hate waiting."

"No one likes waiting... and sometimes waiting ruins everything." She took a long drink from her glass. "I told myself every day for five years that I would tell John I love him... and the day I muster the courage is the day he introduces me to Trollop. I mean, Tracy, his girlfriend..." She grabbed her shot glass and held it in the air. "Barkeep! Two more of these, ASAP."

"So we're just a pair of jilted lovers in a bar." Jim commented.

Kelsey smiled. "We sound like a Billy Joel song."

The shots arrived, and Kelsey handed one to Jim. He took it gratefully, and held it up in a toast.

"To jilted lovers?" She asked.

"No. No..." He looked at her and whispered in playful reverence, "To Billy Joel."

With a laugh, she tapped her glass against his. "To Billy Joel."

* * *

The "kinky: mirrors stared down at JIm as sunlight began to pour through the open curtains.s His eyes opened slowly, and he found his reflection gazing sleepily back at him. Yet both the reflection and reality snapped awake quickly as Jim realized something.

He wasn't alone.

The brunette woman -Kelsey, he remembered- lay next to him, asleep and naked. Come to think of it, so was he. Naked, that is. He clapped his left hand over his mouth in shock, and cringed as what felt like metal clanked against his teeth.

"Ow!" He mumbled, withdrawing his hand and looking at his fingers. There, on his left ring finger, gleaming mockingly in the growing light, a simple gold band had made its home.

"No," he whispered in disbelief. Grabbing Kelsey's left hand, he found that she wore a similar trinket on her finger.

For the love of God, their good-natured drunkeness had led to their downfall... by way of a wedding aisle.

"Shit... shit... shit, shit, shit." He muttered, tumbling out of bed and running to the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed his face with cold weater. No, he couldn't be awake yet; the ring was still on his finger. He did it a second time, and quickly followed it with a third. Finally, when his hair was soaking wet and he was more awake than ever, Jim faced the terrifying truth.

"James Halpert, what did you do?" He said to his reflection.

In time, he took a robe from the towel rack and slipped it on. Then, with a deep breath, he entered the room.

Kelsey was still asleep. He felt cruel waking her, but they had to straighten things out. Now.

Walking to her side, he touched her shoulder lightly. She didn't respond. He shook her slightly. Still nothing. At last, he leaned closer to her ear and said her name, while shaking her.

She sat up with a start, clutching the blankets against her body as her nudity became apparent. Jim glanced away as she adjusted, kindly allowing her to retain her modesty. As she grew more awake, her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God... what did we do?" She asked in shock.

"Everything we shouldn't have," he answered.

She covered her mouth. A moment later, she whispered, "Did we have sex?"

"Sex?" Jim snorted. "Oh, baby, sex is the least of our problems." Grabbing her hand, he pointed out their matching rings. She let out an astonished cry as he spoke again. "Oh, and given your current nakedness and my nudity until about, oh, ten minutes ago... I'd say we definitely had sex."

"Shit." She lowered her head and held it in her hands. "What are we going to do?"

Jim immediately launched into action. "No offense, but we need to get this thing annulled. I mean, you said you live where?"

"Virginia."

"Right. I'm in Pennsylvania. It's not like we'll ever have to see each other."

"Yeah... yeah... You're right." She straightened, confident in their solution. "So, what do we do till then?"

"First things first," Jim said as he took a seat on the corner of the bed. "I've got a massive hangover, and I'm sure you do too. So, let's just sleep it off until about one or two... and then we'll go from there."

"Sleep... in the same bed?" Kelsey sounded perfectly scandalized.

He couldn't help but smirk. "Well, we are married, darling."

She cracked a small smile at the irony. "Okay... but can I borrow a shirt or something? I feel way awkward."

"Yeah, of course." Jim grabbed a t-shirt from one of the drawers and tossed it to her. As she slipped it on, he put on a pair of boxers and removed the bathrobe. Kelsey looked at him with wide eyes as he slid between the sheets.

"We don't have to... cuddle... or anything, do we?" She asked.

Jim laughed. "You are the worst wife ever, you know that?"

"That's not true! This is just a delicate situation; for all you know, I could be a great wife."

"Perhaps... but you don't even have to worry about seeing me after today, so... cuddling is not mandatory."

She smirked. "Are you hurt by my cuddling aversion?"

"Oh, I am heartbroken."

She laughed. "Well, maybe a little cuddling wouldn't kill me."

He looked at her doubtfully. "Now you want to cuddle?"

She leaned in close. "Wanna know a secret?" He nodded. "I love to cuddle. I just pretend to hate it so I can look tough."

Jim grinned. "Oh, the many masks we wear. I always knew you were a softie." Lifting his arm, he drew her close, so her head rested on his chest. As he felt her hair brush against his bare skin, he couldn't help but envision someone else in his arms. Yet, strangely, he didn't feel bad for letting his mind wander.

He knew she was doing the same, and in the secrets of her mind, someone else's arms were holding her.

With a sigh, he gave her a slight hug. "Goodnight, wife," he said.

She scratched the skin of his stomach affectionately. "Goodnight, husband."

* * *

**Jim**

"So, it's been two months since my little vacation, and as of three weeks ago, my marriage was annulled. Kelsey and I have been in contact briefly, but only to discuss legalities... and Pam and I are talking again. Things are going good there... but I haven't told her about what happened... I don't know how she'd take it..."

* * *

"Jim, Kelsey Crane is on the phone for you," Pam said from her desk.

Jim glances at the camera, then turns to the handset and picks up. "Jim Halpert."

"Halpert, it's Kelsey."

"Yeah, I know. What's up?"

She paused; when she spoke again, he could hear the tension in her voice. "I need to talk to you. In person."

He blinked. In a hushed voice, he said, "I don't see how that will work, considering-"

"I'm staying at the Wilkes-Barre Sheraton. There's a Silver Diner across the street. Can you please meet me there at one?"

He'd never heard her sound so forceful. In the short time he'd known her, she'd always been easygoing and light. He guessed he needed to take her seriously.

"Yeah... yeah, I'll be there."

* * *

One o'clock rolled around. Jim entered the cafe right on time. Kelsey was already seated and sipping on a smoothie. She stood as he walked towards her and hugged him awkwardly.

"How you doing, Jim?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I'm doing good. How are you?"

She shrugged too. "I'm doing good."

"How's Virginia Beach?"

"Well, shoots have slowed down since it's winter. Not as much surf merchandise to sell, you know." They took their seats as a waiter came to serve them. They placed their orders, and as the waiter left, Kelsey turned to Jim.

"I guess you're wondering why I asked you to meet me here." She began.

He smirked slightly. "Actually, I was more interested in why you're even here. Why are you here, anyway?"

"Because I needed to talk to you."

"And you couldn't do it over the phone?"

She sighed. "I just didn't think it would be appropriate, because..." she folded her hands in front of her and took a deep breath. "Jim, what I'm about to tell you is shocking and may even upset you, but I just need you to know." Her last few words stuck in her throat as the slightest sob escaped; a tear ran down her cheek.

"Hey..." Jim whispered, trying to console her; he covered her hands with one of his. "Whatever you have to tell me, I'm sure it things will be all right."

"No, it won't be, Jim!" She answered, more tears falling. "It won't be. I've lost three modeling jobs; I had to move out of my apartment and now I'm living with my parents again. My best friend won't talk to me... my world is falling apart!"

"Why? What happened?"

She met his eyes, and with great emotion, whispered two words that changed his life -and her's- forever.

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**Jim**

"Oh... my... God..."

_To Be Continued..._


	2. Part 2

A/N: Thanks to my wonderful reviewers: Alex Wert, Elly10, and tophetangel. I appreciate your thoughts more than you know! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and encourage EVERYONE to please review and let me know what you think! With Love, Jonalyn 

* * *

**The Office: Vegas Vacation**

**Part 2**

_Two Weeks Later_

The office was abuzz with activity. Well, as abuzz as the office normally got anyway. It was a Friday, the most blessed day of the week. The uncharacteristically cheerful vibe was no more than an anxiousness to get out of that place and into the free world, if only for a fleeting weekend. Most of them were counting down the hours until five o'clock, when they could leave their week behind. Five o'clock was still two hours away, so Pam was surprised when Jim stood, slung his leather bag over his shoulder, and walked to the coat rack.

"You leaving?" She remarked with no small amount of surprise.

He nodded, folding his jacket over his arm. "Yeah, I have some business to take care of."

"Oh... well, I was saving this for later, but..." she rummaged through the bottom desk drawer, smiling as she straightened a moment later and presented him with two slips of paper, "I know what a big fan you are of Dave Matthews, and I've just happened to snag two tickets for tonight's show at Montage Mountain."

Jim's jaw promptly dropped. "No. Way."

She grinned widely. "Yes, way!" She extended one of the tickets to him. "Wanna go with me?"

_Of course!_ His insides screamed, telling him to take the damn ticket. His fingers burned to reach out for it... but he stopped himself, reminded of his responsibility.

With a sigh, he shook his head. "I can't tonight, Pam."

Her face fell, visibly disappointed. "Oh... you already have plans?"

"Something like that. It's not that I don't want to-"

"-No. It's fine." She forced a smile, but it lacked all the warmth of her previous joy. "Have a good weekend, Jim." She whispered, though there was not the slightest kindness in her tone. It was an expression of politeness, and the following silence was thick with tension.

Jim hated the secrets. Hiding was killing him... but he was more afraid of what she would do if she knew. He knew that nothing could stay hidden forever; when the Vegas debacle finally came to light, he would have a lot to explain.

But he just needed time, and he was doing his best to use all he had. He craved the normalcy, begging it to remain as long as possible; he needed it to get his head around all that was going on.

Still, the hurt in Pam's eyes, and the sound of betrayal in her voice gave him plenty of food for thought as he drove home. 

* * *

**Pam**

"I bought him tickets to Dave Matthews, and he can't go! What the hell! Everybody knows that if you get offered free tickets to Dave Matthews, you take it! God... what makes it worse is I told Kelly if Jim didn't go, I'd take her, so... yeah" 

* * *

That was at three o'clock; now, it was near 7:30. She would arrive at any minute.

She... meaning Kelsey, of course. 

She was driving back from Virginia Beach. She was probably tired, probably hungry, and probably a little upset.

And she would be moving in with him that night.

Jim spent the afternoon tidying up. He was a mostly tidy person anyway, but he wanted to make the best impression he could on Kelsey. So... counters were dusted, windows were washed, and he vacuumed more thoroughly than he ever had before. 

* * *

**Jim**

"Yes... and it was interesting." 

* * *

Oh, and he cleaned out the spare bedroom, which he'd been using for storage. Now, it was totally bare, but he knew that wouldn't last for long.

It would only be six months before a new one -boy or girl- came along with a need for that room.

Jim had very sweetly cleared out enough space in the closet to accommodate her clothing. He didn't know what they'd do about dresser space; they'd have to figure that one out later. He did invest in a new comforter for the bed, one a little more girl-friendly. 

Girl-friendly... looking around his clearly masculine home, the comforter -a plain thing of simple blue material- was about the only thing even slightly feminine. Band posters hung on most of his walls; a large Fight Club banner was mounted behind his flat screen TV downstairs. A signed Phillies pennant hung in a glass frame in the entry way. Not a stitch of femininity could be found anywhere; even when he and Pam had been dating, his decorating had remained relatively untouched.

Then again, he and Pam never lived together.

He saw a shadow of headlights on the wall, and heard the sound of a car pulling up. Standing, he went to the door and looked out the window; sure enough, a silver Jetta had pulled into the driveway. Kelsey got out and popped the trunk. As she began to remove her luggage, Jim went outside.

"Hey." He said, walking towards her.

She looked at him and smiled. "Hey." She replied.

As she reached for her suitcase, he took gentle hold of her wrist. "Should you really be lifting?"

A smirk crossed her face. "Well, I put it into the car just fine."

"Well, how about you let me get this stuff? I'd just feel safer about you and... and..."

"The baby?" She finished, raising an eyebrow as she spoke.

He smiled awkwardly. "Well, yeah." He reached for the bag, but just before he grabbed it, he pulled her into a well-meant hug. "By the way, I'm glad to have you here."

Kelsey let him hold her, though she couldn't help but notice his affections were awkward, almost brotherly. Still, she gave him credit for trying. Smiling, she watched as he struggled with her monstrous suitcase, then grabbed the smaller bags for herself. After closing the trunk, Jim reached for her hand, and he held it tightly as he led her towards the house.

Or rather, their house. 

* * *

To Jim's surprise, Kelsey had not brought as much stuff as he thought. Apparently, she'd sold or given away a lot to make the trip easier, but, "My parents are sending a few things to me, like books and such."

Books and such. He could deal with books and such. 

What shocked him most was that she seemed to genuinely like the house. She explored, asking questions, smiling as he took her on a tour of what would be her home. As she looked around the bedroom, she couldn't help but smile. It was a thing Jim couldn't help but return.

Maybe, just maybe, they could do this. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so hard after all. 

* * *

**Jim**

"Yeah, Kelsey moved in. I mean... I didn't really see what else there was to do. I want to be responsible for my actions, and with her being three hundred miles away... it would be hard on a kid, you know? And since she was out of a job, it was fairly easy for her to see the logic so... now it's just getting to know each other that... could get awkward." 

* * *

Unpacking was fairly easy. As expected, Kelsey had a lot of clothes, even for a woman... but they managed to find a place for it all in the end. The shoes were a different situation entirely, and shoving them under the king-size bed would have to do for the time being. When it had all been done, Jim went downstairs to get a drink. When he returned, he found that Kelsey had left the master bedroom and walked to the spare room.

She lay in the middle of the floor, her eyes focused on the light that hung suspended from the ceiling. As he entered, he noticed her hand had absently begun to rub her abdomen, which had only slightly begun to round, and looked more like extra weight than a baby bump.

He would never say that to her, of course.

When she made no move to stand upon his entrance, he decided to join her. Without a word, Jim lay down next to her, shoulder to shoulder, and stared at the ceiling. He let a moment of silence ensue before speaking.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked softly.

She answered with a sigh. "The same thing I've been thinking about for the past three months; the baby."

"You scared?"

She didn't say a word, but from the corner of his eye, he saw her nod.

He also noticed that she began to cry. 

Rolling on his side, Jim looked at her, genuinely concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know... just scared I guess." She met his eyes. "I didn't think it would be this way."

He knew how that felt, and he reached out, touching her arm in an effort to comfort her. "I know... I didn't either. And as much as it may suck right now," she appeared stunned, but he defended his remark gently. "Let's not lie; it does. I remember our circumstances before Vegas. I was in love with someone else, as were you, and because of this, we've had to let go of the past. It sucks, it hurts... but it's going to be worth it. This baby will be the most loved baby in the world. I promise you that."

She offered him a small smile. "Thanks, Jim."

"You're welcome." He put his arm around her and let her head rest on his shoulder. "And it's all right that you're scared... because I am too." 

* * *

On Monday morning, Jim awoke to the most delicious smell in the world: fresh-brewed coffee, eggs, toast, and chocolate-chip pancakes. With a smile, he rose from the couch -because sharing a house didn't necessarily merit sharing a bed, and he was gentleman enough to not make more uncomfortable a thoroughly awkward circumstance- and walked into the kitchen. To his joy, Kelsey stood in front of the stove, pouring syrup on the plated pancakes, then placing an egg and toast next to it. As she turned around, Jim noticed she was wearing one of his green long sleeved tee-shirts; it skimmed down her torso, reaching nearly as long as the boxers she wore. 

Which, he recognized, were also his.

Kelsey felt his eyes studying her attire. With a sheepish grin, she let out a small laugh as she walked toward him, the plate in her hand. "I... just think they're comfy."

"Thank you," he said as he took the plate, then rifled through the silverware drawer for a fork and took a seat at the kitchen table. Kelsey sat in the seat across from him, and before he took a bite, Jim looked at her with a lifted eye brow. "So, men's clothes are comfy?"

The embarrassed expression still across her face, Kelsey offered a reply. "I just like the way they feel. Not men's clothes... just yours." She pressed her nose against the cuff of the shirt, sniffing it. "They smell good; they smell like you."

"Well, I have been known to smell good, I must say." Jim said, taking another bite of pancake. "This is really good, by the way."

She shrugged off his compliment, but a blush rushed to her cheeks. "It's the housewife in me... not that I'm a house wife or expecting to be a house wife," she rushed to correct herself. "I'm just... kind of a nurturer personality. If that makes sense... does that make sense?" She rested her chin in her hands. "I'm sorry, I know I'm rambling. Should I stop?"

"Well... I wouldn't call it rambling as much as talking yourself in circles." He said teasingly.

"Good thing I'm not insecure about it or I might take that personally."

As Jim lifted another forkful of pancake to his mouth, he asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

"Oh..." Her eyes dropped, focused on the tiled floor. "I just... can't eat in the morning."

He blinked. "Do you get morning sickness that badly?"

She straightened in her chair and met his eyes. "I mean, I feel fine today... it's just kind of like a lottery. Some days I feel fine, and some days," she shrugged, leaving the remainder of the sentence unsaid, finishing instead with, "I just find that I feel better if I don't eat until around noon."

"Well... as long as you're healthy. You are healthy, right?"

Kelsey smiled. "I'm healthy, Jim. Which reminds me, I have a doctor's appointment next Tuesday." She said as she stood and began to rinse off the pans she'd cooked in. Glancing over her shoulder, he saw the glint in her eye as she spoke. "He's going to try to sonogram the heartbeat and take a picture."

"Can he do that this early?" Jim asked as he finished his breakfast, and took the plate to the sink. 

"Well, I'm about twelve weeks, and they can predict gender as early as fourteen, at some practices." Looking up at him, her smile grew wider. "I'd really like you there, if you could make it. It's pretty cool to see."

"Well, in that case, I'll be there. Now... do you need help with the dishes?" He asked.

She shot him a look. "It's almost 7:30 and you're not even showered! Go get ready for work; I can take care of this." She insisted, playfully elbowing him out of the way. When he began to protest, she took him by his arm and led him out of the kitchen. "Don't worry about it! You just worry about being on time for work, okay?"

He smiled down at her. "If you insist."

"Well, I do."

"Fine."

"Fine."

He stuck out his tongue at her. She stuck hers out too.

"You're such a child." He teased.

Her jaw dropped in mock offense. "_You're_ such a child."

"Ah, actually, I'm older."

"Oh, by, like, six months. And you're still wasting time." She pointed towards the staircase. "Now get up those stairs and wash up or I will do it for you." The twinkle in her eye reflected her playfulness, even if her expression was stony.

"Fine, fine, I'm going!" Jim raised his hands in surrender and began to walk up the stairs. On the third one, he turned and said, "By the way, breakfast was delicious. Thank you."

The icy expression softened, and the true Kelsey came out again. "You're welcome." 

* * *

**Jim**

"She's all moved in... which means that half of the race is run... 

* * *

Pam was particularly cold to Jim when he entered the office, not responding to his cheerful, "Good morning", and throwing away the latte he bought for her on the way in. He'd expected as much, and went to his desk without another word. 

That was how he remained the whole morning. He didn't say a word to a person he worked with; he didn't even torment Dwight (though it would have been easy to). Instead, he worked hard, knocking out three sales before lunchtime. It's a good thing he did, because it was at lunchtime that chaos struck.

Kelsey entered the office ten minutes after noon. Stopping at reception, she said, "I'm looking for Jim Halpert."

Perplexed, Pam silently pointed to Jim's desk, where he was on the phone. Kelsey smiled and walked over to him. When he saw her near, he froze.

_Oh, God, no..._

He hung up the phone, losing a sale, for certain... but he could have cared less at that moment.

"What are you doing here?" He asked softly.

She held out a brown bag to him. "You left your lunch at home. I just thought it'd be nice if I brought in. Give me a chance to meet the people you work with."

"Jim," Dwight began, staring hardly at the strange woman before him, "who is this woman?"

Kelsey turned and extended her hand with a smile. "I'm Kelsey Crane. You must be Dwight."

He ignored her hand. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. I'll let you know after I do a background check." He scribbled her name on a piece of paper. "Kelsey Crane." He muttered, then looked up and said beneath his breath, "About 5'8", light brown hair, blue eyes... unnaturally tan skin. Possible sun-baker?" He scribbled down more information as Pam walked over.

Inwardly, Jim died a thousand deaths. Anything, anything but that...

"I'm sorry, who did you say you were?" She asked with faux kindness.

Kelsey was genuinely sweet as she turned to Pam. "Kelsey Crane. I just moved here."

"From where?"

"Virginia Beach."

"Virginia Beach." Dwight mumbled, writing it down in messy shorthand.

Pam's lips pursed together as she looked at Jim, who could only stare, totally shell-shocked as the tragedy -or comedy- unfolded around him.

"And how did you come to know Jim?"

Kelsey began to see that the good-natured grilling was, in fact, not so good-natured after all. Her defenses went up immediately, and she said, "I'm sorry, it seems I've introduced myself but you have yet to return the favor."

"Oh, really? Hm... well, I am Pam, Jim's girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Kelsey glared at Jim.

"Ex..." he offered meekly.

"Yes, girlfriend. And you are..."

She met Pam's eyes, and stated with an air of defiance, "Kelsey Crane, former model for Wave Riding Vehicles, Hotline Surf Company... and did I mention I'm Jim's wife?"

"Wife!" Pam exclaimed.

There was a moment of stunned, livid silence as both women -and Dwight- looked to Jim for an answer. His reply?

"...Ex..." 

* * *

**Jim**

"In the words of Shakespeare... 'The shit hath hitteth the fan... eth'."


	3. Part 3

A/N: A big THANK YOU to everyone who has been reading this story, and lots of thanks especially to the wonderful reviewers: Da Phoenix 13, Kellie Stults, Sadie J, ameliabedilia88, Peyton238, Alex Wert, MeddyGrey, maka.kaka, and reaganmariesmith. You all have encouraged me so much. Thank you!

* * *

**The Office: Vegas Vacation**

**Part 3**

"Dunder-Mifflin, this is Kelsey."

The person on the other line took a deep breath. Then, in a gravelly voice, the speaker said, "Knocked up."

She closed her eyes. "Michael, is that you?"

"Preggers."

Opening her eyes, Kelsey looked towards Michael's office. He was hunched in his chair, his cell phone pressed against his ear; even from a distance, she could see he was shaking. From laughter.

"I can see you."

"No, you can't."

"I'm looking right at you, Michael."

"Baby's momma!"

"Hanging up now." And she promptly did.

From inside his office, Kelsey heard Michael swear.

"Damn it."**

* * *

**

Jim

"All right, so in a nutshell, here is what's happened in the past six weeks: I told Pam the truth, because I really didn't have a choice in the matter anymore. She, fortunately, was very gracious and forgiving..."

_Gracious and forgiving_... The description seemed ironic as a clip of Pam yelling at Jim in the break room played.

"And for the most part, Pam seemed to understand why I needed to take responsibility for Kelsey and the baby."

The clip continued, showing Jim yelling back at Pam. It ended as she slapped him and stormed out.

"Oh, and we got -or rather, Kelsey got- a new sonogram last week." Jim pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and, after searching through it for a moment or two, revealed a picture of an ultrasound. "It's looking more and more like a baby, which is very exciting. We're looking at names right now, which is fun... and Pam went on an eight week leave, because she threatened to sue the company for emotional damage caused by a co-worker. As a result, Kelsey is now the temporary receptionist... and that is the tragic, comical life of Jim Halpert, ladies and gentlemen."

* * *

The phone rang. Noticing that the ring was a beep rather than a bell tone, Kelsey concluded that it was an inside line, and typed a moment longer before answering.

"This is Kelsey," she said as kindly as possible.

"What took you so long to answer?" Michael Scott said, his disappointment evident.

"I'm typing the memo you gave to me ten minutes ago. You said you wanted it out in thirty minutes." She replied.

"I know that's what I said, but what I meant was you needed to type it and have it out by now."

"I'm sorry, but your handwriting is hard to decipher."

"I don't care. I'm not paying you to sit and play."

"Actually, you're not paying me at all; Corporate pays me."

"That's a technicality, and don't backtalk me. I can replace you."

"I'm just a temp; how are you going to replace a replacement?"

"Oh, I can, and I will. Finish the memo now, get it out, and then go down to the warehouse. Darryl has some things he needs you for." Michael hung up without even a thank you.

Kelsey rolled her eyes, but continued to type as quickly as she could. The memo was actually pointless -everyone knew the circumstance by now- and somewhat offensive; it pretty much explained Pam's absence and Kelsey's presence in no polite terms. But far be it from her to correct the impossible Michael Scott.

Sensing her stress, Jim walked to her desk.

"Hey." He said.

Kelsey managed a small smile at him. "Hey."

"Rough day?"

She snorted. "Interesting, to say the least. It's not every day you type up a memo about yourself which categorizes you as a lover-stealing harlot."

"Did Angela write that memo?"

Kelsey laughed. "Surprisingly, no. Your fearless leader did."

He didn't smile, and instead leaned in close. "I know it's hard, but you can't take Michael too personally, or too seriously. His tact filter is faulty, sometimes."

Her jaw dropped in mock astonishment. "I never would have guessed."

At that, Jim managed a small laugh. "Well, at least there are no more surprises. Right?"

"Right." Kelsey finished the memo and emailed it to the entire office staff. "Well, I'm down to the warehouse for God knows what."

"The warehouse?" Jim's brow furrowed. "Why are you being sent there?"

"Ask Michael. Apparently, something with Darryl. Who knows?" Rifling through her purse, she found her cell phone and placed it in her pocket. "What do you want for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know; surprise me." He replied. As she walked out from behind her desk, he took a hold of her hand and drew her close; then, he placed the smallest kiss on her forehead. His free hand wandered to her abdomen. At four months, he could feel the slightest baby bump forming. "Be safe."

"You too." She said and kissed his cheek. As she walked away, she gave a small wave. He waved back, watching her leave before returning to his desk.

* * *

**Jim**

"I guess you could say that telling each other 'be safe' is our way of showing we care. I don't know... other words just don't seem appropriate yet."

* * *

Kelsey had been gone for nearly an hour when she returned, following a clearly angry Darryl. She maintained her distance as he stormed into Michael's office. Everyone seemed to freeze, staring with rapt attention as Darryl slammed the door behind him and started the conversation with a brash, "What the hell are you thinking, man?" Dwight stood quickly and went to Michael's rescue.

Well, actually, all he did was stand with his ear pressed against the door.

As all the employees strained to listen, Jim turned to Kelsey. "What happened?" He whispered.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it." Yet her concerned expression made him press her for details.

"Hey, come on. Don't do that," he said, taking her hand as he rolled his chair away from his desk and motioned for her to sit on his lap. When she had, he asked again, "What happened?"

She shook her head and shrugged slightly, trying to downplay the situation before she even spoke. "We made a mistake on an order, and just got a huge shipment of returned products. Darryl had one of his employees call in sick today, and he just needed a little help with manual labor and some light unloading. Michael told him he'd send one of the office people..." she pointed to herself, "and he sent me. And to make it worse, I started getting tired and..." Kelsey sighed, "promise you won't get mad?"

"No."

"Fine... I started to get tired, and dizzy, and... kind of collapsed."

"What?" Jim's eyes were narrowed and angry.

"But Darryl caught me; I didn't hit the floor. The boxes weren't more than twenty-five or thirty pounds, and the doctor said I can carry up to forty-five pounds safely."

Jim patted her knee, a signal she understood. With a sigh, Kelsey stood up and watched as Jim took long strides to Michael's office. Nudging Dwight out of the way, Jim burst in.

"You made Kelsey do manual labor?!" He exclaimed, appalled.

Michael sat comfortably at his desk. "It is my understanding that exercise is healthy for pregnant women."

A chorus of "no's" responded as Jim and Darryl expressed their aggravation.

"Exercise, like swimming and walking, not weightlifting." Jim said.

"If she had gotten hurt, you could have had one huge lawsuit on your ass, man." Darryl replied.

"Not just if Kelsey got hurt, if something happened to the baby... there's more than one person involved here Michael." Jim took a seat across from him. "What would make you even send her down there? You never made Pam do any of that kind of stuff."

"Excuse me; I thought that she was my assistant-"

"-No, she is a receptionist-"

"-and my assistant is supposed to do what I tell her to."

"She is not your assistant. She is a temporary receptionist who happens to be four months pregnant and cannot physically take your antics."

Darryl pressed a fist to his mouth, folding his arms as he spoke. "I don't know what you were thinking, man."

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe I thought I was doing you a favor-"

"-No-"

"-Maybe I was helping you do your job!"

"That's not helping. That's a liability."

Michael's eyes narrowed. "How dare you? I know that Kelsey isn't one of us and is knocked up-"

"-Don't say 'knocked up'." Jim stated, but Michael heard none of it.

"- but it doesn't give you a right to call her derogatory names." He finished.

"That's not what liability means, Michael." Jim interjected. "What it means is that pregnancy is one of the most dangerous times in a woman's life. Women have died from pregnancy."

* * *

**Jim**

"I mean... I've heard stories..."

* * *

Michael's eyes widened, and his jaw promptly dropped. "Re-really? They... they can die?"

"Yes." Jim nodded. "If they don't take care of themselves properly, or if they're made to do things that are outside of their physical capacity, it can hurt them. Badly."

Michael clapped a hand over his mouth. "I had no idea. Oh my God. I didn't know." His eyes began to well with tears. "Oh, Jim, will you forgive me?"

Jim sighed. "Of course, Michael. Although it's really Kelsey you owe an apology to."

"You're right..." he put his forefinger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. "You're absolutely right. I'm gonna go talk to her. I need to..." he pushed himself out of his chair and walked briskly out of his office. Jim and Darryl followed closely.

Kelsey had returned to her desk and was attempting to appear busy as Michael neared.

"I'm sorry, Kelsey." He said in a soft voice.

She blinked. "It's okay."

"No, you don't get it..." he walked behind her desk and held out his arms, "I'm really, really sorry."

With great reluctance, she let him hug her. As he did, he began to cry again, and fell to his knees; pressing his face against her swollen belly, he said, "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. Uncle Mike messed up."

What did Kelsey say? Well, what could she say when a man she hardly knew had embraced her lower half and was talking to the child inside of her?

With pleading eyes, she looked at Jim and Darryl. "Help." She mouthed.

As it turned out, the help she asked for was unnecessary, for Michael soon stood up and took both of her hands. "If you ever need anything, if I'm working you too hard, you let me know." He hugged her again, then turned away slowly and went to Jim. He embraced him. "She's a good woman... you take care of her now... you take good care of her." He whispered.

Jim patted his back assuringly. "Of course I will."

"Good man... good man." Michael broke away and wiped his tears, then let out a huff. "All right," he glanced around at his employees, who all watched, enjoying the spectacle. "Back to work."

As the sounds of typing and filing continued, Jim walked to Kelsey's desk. She sat in front of the keyboard, her chin resting in her hands. As he neared, she looked up at him.

"That could not have been more awkward." She commented quietly.

He managed a small laugh. "Yeah, I know. But listen," he leaned in close, "Michael has kind of given us a get-out-of-jail free card; my main responsibility now seems to be taking care of you."

"Nice."

"Yeah. So..." he nodded towards the door, "I tell the big man you're shaken up, we get out of here early. Get some dinner, catch a quick movie; in bed by ten o'clock." He smirked. "Sound good?"

She grinned and nodded. "Sounds great. Should I gather my things?"

"Yeah; I'll go talk to Michael." He tapped the desk with his fist and winked at her before walking away.

* * *

**Kelsey**

"What's my relationship with people in the office? Well, Angela called me a slut... Phyllis doesn't really talk to me. Meredith doesn't talk to me. Stanley doesn't talk to me... Um, for fifteen minutes a day, Creed comes and stands at my desk to stare at my breasts... Andy still finds it novel that I'm married to Jim; something about Big Tuna setting his fish free. Who else... Kevin snickers every time he sees my baby bump. Kelly... well, she tries to be nice, but all she ever seems to say is how weird it is that I'm with Jim, because she always thought he and Pam would get married. Toby is nice to me; I think he has to be. Within the first ten minutes of meeting Dwight, he tried to test me for AIDS and did a background check on me... And Michael... is Michael... am I missing anyone?"

* * *

Night had fallen while they were in the movie theater. Being that it was still early April, the evening brought a slight chill, and Kelsey shivered slightly as they left the theater.

Jim put his arm around her shoulder. "Cold?"

She shook her head. "No, not really." She said through chattering teeth. When he laughed, she rephrased her response. "Maybe just a little."

"Well, just think: we're only five minutes away from a warm car, and you're twenty minutes away from a warm bed."

"And you're only twenty minutes away from a warm couch." She teased.

He didn't laugh. "Yeah..."

Hearing the happiness leave his voice, Kelsey paused and turned to face him. "You know, I've never thanked you, have I?"

Jim appeared perplexed. "For what?"

"For all of this. I mean, of course for taking me out to dinner and a movie tonight... but for taking me in. For giving up your own dreams and goals because a wife and child landed on your doorstep." She sighed, shivering again as she continued. "I didn't expect you to stick around the way you have; most men wouldn't."

"Well, I am pretty extraordinary."

The look on her face remained unchanged, and he knew it wasn't a time to joke.

"I'm serious, Jim."

That's how he knew.

"I know how hard it's been for you, and I know that nothing good comes without sacrifice. I'm just sorry you had to give up so much for me." Her hand rested on her belly as she spoke again. "For us."

"Hey, come on," he said, touching her arm gently as he tried to smile. "Don't make me out to be so saintly. Taking you in was the right thing to do."

"Yeah... but the right thing isn't always the easy thing."

When he didn't have a response to her comment, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him. Her head rested nicely against the curve of his shoulder, and he could feel her breath on his neck. She pulled away a moment later, only to place a soft, small kiss against his lips.

They'd both be lying if they said there were sparks or fireworks. There was no moving of the earth, no leaping of hearts in bliss. It was just a simple expression of affection, quiet and gentle. To make it anything more than what it truly was would ruin it.

When they broke apart after a moment or so, Jim smiled and took her hand. "Come on; let's go home." He whispered. As her fingers entwined with his, he heard her repeat his words. She never thought she'd be able to call Scranton home...

... No, it wasn't Scranton. It was Jim. Where he was... that was home, now.

Yeah... that was it.

* * *

They arrived at the house just before ten o'clock, as Jim had predicted. They brushed their teeth and put on their pajamas. Kelsey no longer fit into her nightgowns, so she wore Jim's Phillies jersey. She looked pretty cute in it, he had to admit.

When she was ready, Kelsey slid under the sheets of the large king-size bed that had been hers alone for the past two months. Jim was still getting ready for bed, and he'd have to walk right by her in order to leave the room. Like every other night, he'd come and place a kiss on her cheek, say goodnight, and turn out the light as he left the room.

But that night, Kelsey made a bold statement.

As Jim walked over to her to go through their evening routine, she stopped him.

"You know, you don't have to sleep on the couch... if you don't want to." She said softly.

He pondered how to take her comment. "Do you not want me to sleep on the couch?"

"Only if you don't want to. I don't want you to if you don't want to."

"Well, I don't want to if you don't want me to. Do you want me to, or do you not want me to?"

It was easy to get confused when Jim started talking this way. Kelsey had learned to give up sooner than later, and threw away any attempts at subtlety.

"Just sleep up here okay?" She finally said, and smiled.

Jim laughed at her short answer. "Fine... but only because you insisted."

"Yeah, right." Kelsey retorted as Jim flipped off the bedroom light. Moonlight poured in through the curtains, illuminating the room partially.

Jim settled in next to her, and they both lay quietly. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Kelsey saw that he was staring at the ceiling.

She elbowed him playfully. "What are you thinking about?" She asked, mirroring a question he'd asked of her some time ago.

He smiled. "The same thing I've been thinking about for the past few months."

"The baby?"

"As a matter of fact, no." He said, rolling onto his side and facing her. "Actually, I was thinking about you."

"Me?" She was genuinely surprised. "I hope they were good thoughts."

"They were. And I was just wondering..." he took a deep breath, "if you would you marry me... again?"

He didn't know why, but as he asked the question, his hands began to shake. His mouth went completely dry as he awaited her response.

In the darkness, Kelsey took his hand; Even in the dim light, her smile was apparent. "I will, Jim."

* * *

**Jim**

"Yeah... so we got married almost two weeks ago..." Jim raised his hand, pointing to a white gold band on his finger. He smiled as he spoke. "It's going good. I'm no expert at marriage or anything... but friendship is the foundation of any good relationship right? And if nothing else... Kelsey is a great friend."

* * *

**Kelsey**

"Of course I said yes. And he got me this ring." She lifted her hand to show off a simple white gold wedding band paired with a diamond engagement ring; the diamond shone in the light, reflecting off the camera lens. "We found it at the King of Prussia Tiffany's." She smiled as she stared at the ring, but the joyous grin quickly faded as she came to a realization. "I know... I know it's not love as much as it is responsibility, for him... but... I don't know... I guess it wouldn't be hard for me to love him." She began fanning herself with both hands. "It's hot in here... I'm just so happy... and Jim is a great friend... and it's okay to love your friends, right?"

* * *

The office door opened. Pam walked in, her heart dropping as she saw Kelsey sitting at her desk.

God, she didn't want to do this... but, damn it, she had to. Setting her jaw firmly, Pam forced herself forward, walking to the desk of her rival.

"Hello, Kelsey." She said.

Kelsey looked up, and smiled kindly. "Hey, Pam. How was your trip?"

"Fine. Long. Necessary." Her reply was short and awkward. She genuinely did not want to appear rude; it wasn't Kelsey's fault that this had happened...

No, Pam held Jim entirely responsible. Perhaps it was unfair... but it felt good.

"I'll call Michael and let him know you're here." As she reached for the phone, Pam couldn't help but notice the tell-tale sparkle on her left hand.

* * *

**Pam**

"I was gone for eight weeks. Eight weeks! That's it! I come back, and they're married..." If a tear began to gleam in her eye then, no one could blame her. "I'm not mad; they're just doing what they think is right... and maybe it is..."

* * *

As Kelsey dialed the number, Pam turned to leave. When she heard her call her name, she shook her head. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't. She needed more time.

* * *

"Dunder-Mifflin, this is Kelsey."

"Pregnant!"

She sighed, and without a word, hung up. It was only a moment before the phone rang again. She answered reluctantly.

"Look, Michael, it's not funny anymore... oh. Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Howard. No, I do not normally answer the phones like that... yes, sir... no, sir... I'll put you through to Michael." She transferred the call, hanging up when it began to ring on Michael's line. Looking at Jim, she noticed that he was laughing.

Her eyes narrowed. "You making fun of me?"

"What? No. I'm merely laughing at you."

"Oh, just laughing at me. Well, that's totally acceptable." She ended her statement by throwing a paper clip at him.

"Wow, you really went there?" He asked; she stuck out her tongue. "Now you're gonna get it." As he stood, Dwight said, "Jim, I know work doesn't matter to you, but a large number of children are growing up impoverished, so if you do not get to work and begin to provide for your child, I will call Child Protective services." He looked up. "Is that clear?"

Quickly, Jim sat down. "Clear as mud."

Dwight scowled. "Mud isn't clear." He paused. "Idiot."

* * *

**Jim and Kelsey**

"Mud's not clear? Really?" He looked at Kelsey. "Did you know that?"

"No, I didn't. I've never understood basic earth science until right now. We owe so much to Dwight."

"Indeed. Indeed, we do..."

After a pause, Kelsey spoke up. "We really don't owe that much to him, actually."

"He was kind of rude to Kelsey when she first arrived, but-"

"-But then again, he's kind of rude to everyone, so..." she looked at Jim, "you wanna spray his chair with cooking oil?"

"Absolutely, I do." Together, their gazes returned to the camera. "Well, you gotta keep the spark somehow, right?"


	4. Part 4

A/N: Again, huge thanks to all of the people who have been reviewing: Kellie Stults, ameliabedilia88, ayden03274, CemellaBones2747, Elly10, brittybaby0527, SadieJ, Darth Avery, Meddy Grey, maka.kaka, topethangel, daysofourlivesfan88, tradiferis, AmandaJacks, xoannabanana83xo, NaomiLovesNathan, Hannah Banana88, Gummy Bear With Attitude. You guys keep me going! I hope you all enjoy this chapter; as always, please let me know what you think. Thank you all so much!

* * *

**The Office: Vegas Vacation**

**Part 4**

The phone rang.

It was after the second ring that the receptionist picked up, and Jim smiled as he heard the familiar voice speak kindly to the client on the line.

"Dunder-Mifflin, this is Pam."

* * *

**Pam**

"Yeah, I'm back from my break... a week late. But it's okay; everyone has been very understanding... I actually spent my time off with my mom, which was really therapeutic... I've got a new outlook on life, and I'm excited to see what happens... oh, and I don't hate Kelsey and Jim. I just wanted to clear that up... so... yeah..."

* * *

In the lull of the late morning, Jim rolled his chair to the reception desk and spoke in a hushed tone. "She's getting her hair done this weekend, so we have an opportunity Saturday morning from nine to twelve-thirty. Will that be enough time?"

"Ooo, that's kind of cutting it close," Pam informed him. "I think we'd need at least a good five hours. Is there a way we can make that happen?"

"I think her salon has a spa; I could schedule her for a massage and manicure or something."

Pam nodded in approval. "Perfect. So.. your place at nine?"

"Affirmative." As he spoke, the door opened, and he quickly returned to his desk. From across the small distance, Jim saw a small smile on Pam's face.

* * *

**Jim**

"No... nothing is going on with Pam... and that sounded totally unbelievable, so let me explain." He waved the camera closer, lowering his tone to that of a whisper. "We're having a little girl! I mean, Kelsey and I are... she's at six months, and we're starting to get stuff ready... and Pam and I are going to decorate the nursery, but it's a surprise, so... shush!"

* * *

Noon arrived; on the dot, Kelsey walked into the office. She smiled and waved cheerfully at Pam, who returned the gesture.

* * *

**Kelsey**

"I mean, Pam and I aren't close... but we don't hate each other... that's all you can really ask for in this situation, right?"

* * *

"Hey, hon." She said as she walked to Jim's desk.

He turned as she spoke, and smiled. "Hey. How you feeling?"

"Fine. She's been dancing today."

"Really? Let me feel." Jim placed his hand on her rounded abdomen; to his joy, he could feel the smallest stirrings of life beneath his palm. The smile widened into a grin. "Wow... she's going to be a ballerina."

"Or a soccer player." Kelsey said with a groan, then placed her hand on the back of Jim's chair. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Let me just..." he typed a finishing sentence on his sales statement, then closed the document. "Okay, let's go."

As he stood, Kelsey walked over to Pam's desk. "Hey, we're going to Hoss's. You want anything?"

"Ooo... could you get me some steak tips?"

"Potato or fries?"

"Fries, definitely."

"Good choice." Jim was by the coat rack waiting, so Kelsey ended the small talk. "We'll be back in a bit. See you."

"Bye." Pam called after them.

* * *

**Pam**

"Kelsey knows my history with Jim. I guess he kind of spilled it when they met, but, given their inebriation, she kind of forgot... but now... I wouldn't say we're friends... but we're not enemies."

* * *

"So," Kelsey began midway through her lunch with Jim. She paused to wipe her mouth on her napkin, then looked at him with glowing eyes. "I think I've come up with the name."

Jim's interest was less than sparked; baby names had been a regular topic of conversation for weeks now. Still, he appeared excited for her sake. In part, he was; it wasn't every day Kelsey claimed she found "the name".

More like every other day.

"Let me hear it," he said with a wave of his hand, urging her to speak. After a deep breath, she did.

"Zoe Jayne."

Zoe Jayne. Zoe Jayne Halpert. It did have a nice ring to it, he had to admit. But...

"Why that name?" He asked unenthusiastically.

Kelsey's face fell. "Don't... don't you like it?"

"I mean, it's nice... but Zoe Jayne? Really?"

Her smile had already faded, but now her mouth curled into a deep frown. "What about it?"

"It's so... retro."

"It's actually not; it's Greek for life, and, in case you've forgotten, Greek is my heritage."

"Like an eighth."

"Still."

"And Jayne?"

"Jayne... well, I don't know, but it's still pretty."

"Ah... pretty..."

The frown deepened. "What?"

"Nothing..." Jim took a bite of his salad. "I just thought you said you wanted to avoid traditional, ultra-feminine names because you didn't want her gender to limit her.

"How is Zoe or Jayne going to limit her?"

"It could."

She pushed her plate away and crossed her arms. Then, staring intently at Jim, she said, "There's something you're not telling me."

He forced his face to remain unmoved by the accusation. When her comment irked no response from him, Kelsey stood.

"I'm going to the car." She hastily swung her purse over her shoulder and shoved in her chair. "Dont' forget the steak tips... for _Pam_." She spat the name venomously, as if it burned her tongue to form it. Then, turning on her heel, she walked away.

* * *

Kelsey didn't say a word as Jim handed her the steak tips. Neither of them spoke during the ride back to the office; Kelsey didn't even say thank you when Jim held open the door for her.

"Here's your steak tips, Pam," Kelsey said, setting the box on her desk with no attempt to be gentle. As she made to leave, Jim grabbed her hand.

"Kelsey," he whispered.

"No, Jim," she answered through clenched teeth. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Come on; don't be like this," he pleaded.

She looked him straight in the eye, and without emotion, said, "I'll see you at home." Then, she pulled free of his grasp.

What could he do? Not keen to cause a scene, Jim simply let her walk away, and hoped they would resolve it later.

* * *

**Jim**

"It's not that I don't like the name Zoe Jayne. Actually, I love it; it's very pretty... but the reason I am hesitant is because, when Pam and I were dating, we talked about baby names... and Zoe was her number one name..." Jim lowered his eyes, looking at his hands. "I just don't know if I could do that to her... or to me."

* * *

Two days passed. Jim was exhausted, because Kelsey had made him sleep on the couch for the past two nights. The third morning after their fight, Jim awoke to the sound of Kelsey in the kitchen. He rose from the sofa, and entered the kitchen with no small amount of reluctance.

"Good morning," he said.

She didn't even look at him. "Good morning," she repeated from her place at the kitchen bar, where she sat eating a grapefruit half. "Your breakfast is on the stove."

Jim went and looked; like every other Saturday morning, Kelsey had made him pancakes, bacon, and toast. It had become a tradition in the past few months, though normally she ate with him.

Judging by her briefness, he guessed she was still not ready to make up.

Yet, three days was too long, he felt. So, determined to resolve it, Jim took the stool next to her and placed his hand on her back.

"How long are we going to let this go on?" He asked softly.

She finished her grapefruit. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said.

"Kelsey-"

"-Why can't we just agree on something for once with this baby, huh?" She finally exploded. Jim was a bit shocked, but let her vent. "You don't want to use the cradle my great-grandfather made, you don't want to name her Zoe Jayne. When is it ever going to be enough for you?"

"Come on, I've given a lot for this-"

"-Yeah. Where are your stretch marks?" She was standing by now, arms crossed. "Where's the career you had to give up? Where's the family you had to leave behind?"

Did a tear fall from her eyes then? Jim couldn't tell, because she swiped at her cheek angrily before it had even sat there long.

He had never thought of it that way; he'd had to share his home, he'd had to make room for a wife and a baby...

But she'd forsaken all she knew. She'd left her modeling career, her home, her parents, her friends...

Jim Halpert rarely thought of himself as selfish... he did feel so then.

"Kelsey..." he walked towards her, genuinely apologetic, but she recoiled from his touch.

"No... I'm late for my appointment. Goodbye, Jim." And she placed a hasty, bittersweet kiss on his cheek before walking away. The door shut behind her with a slam.

Part of him desperately wanted to go after her. He even went to the door to do so... but at the last moment, he stopped himself.

He needed to make it up to her, somehow.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that he still had a few minutes before Pam arrived. With that in mind, he hastily threw on a pair of jeans and flip-flops, then ran to his car. He knew exactly what he needed to do.

* * *

"Hey," Pam said as she got out of her car. Jim had just pulled into the driveway, and she had parked across the street. She pointed at the bags he held. "What's in there?"

"Some stuff," he replied with a smile. "Just some last minute thoughts on the nursery."

They walked into the house and up the stairs. "Did you paint the base color?" Pam asked.

"Yep, but Kelsey doesn't know it. I've been doing it while she sleeps." He opened the nursery door. From the drape-less window, light poured in. The stark-white walls were now a soft and soothing pastel pink, the color Pam and Jim had agreed upon some weeks ago.

"Perfect. And you have the purple?" She asked.

Jim nodded and pointed to the corner. A can of paint stood next to a basin with two brushes in it. "I didn't want to draw the lines without another person, though. I know I'll get them crooked."

"That's fine. We'll do that now." Rifling through the bag, Jim pulled out a chalk line; Pam grabbed one end while he held the other, and they made two lines on three of the walls. The first line was horizontal, about four feet from the ground; the second was just six inches above that. They lined the chalk with blue painters tape. Then, Jim opened the paint and poured it into the basin. It didn't take long for them to paint in between the lines. When they finished, Jim nodded in approval.

"It looks great. I love those colors together." He stated.

Pam smiled. "It has something special, doesn't it?" She wiped her hands on her paint-stained jeans. "Now, for the flowers."

"Oh, actually," Jim began, "I was wondering if we could put something different on the border."

"Sure, I guess... what did you have in mind?"

"I was wondering... if you could write Zoe Jayne."

Pam froze, and tears instantly began to gleam in her eyes.

"Zoe Jayne?"

"Yeah..." he cleared his throat, "because that's what we're going to name her."

"Zoe..." Pam's eyes narrowed. "Did you choose that name?"

"No; no, I didn't. Kelsey did. Honest."

"And did you tell her how I feel about that name?"

Jim sighed. "Pam, listen; I tried. I tried to talk her out of that name because I know how you feel about it, but I can't just come right out and say to my wife that we can't name our child that because my girlfriend likes that name."

"Ex-girlfriend." Pam corrected.

"Ex-girlfriend. That's what I said." She rolled her eyes. "Pam, please..." he gingerly took her hand, feeling his heart break as the tears that had been threatening to fall from her eyes finally did. "I know this is hard for you, and I know it's unfair. If you really don't want to, fine; we'll go back to the first plan... but I was just hoping you'd do this for Kelsey, for Zoe... and for me."

When he had finished speaking, Pam pulled out of his grip and turned away. He heard her cry softly for a few moments. Then, finally, in a determined, stern voice, she said, "I'll do it for Kelsey... and I'll do it for Zoe." She faced him, "but I'm not doing it for you, Jim."

He didn't respond to her; he really couldn't. He hadn't expected her to do it for him, if he really thought about it.

The fact that she did it at all was a miracle.

* * *

Jim didn't enter the nursery again until several hours later, when he had finished assembling the rocking chair and was carrying it upstairs. As he entered, he couldn't help but gasp.

The dark purple stripes were finished; about every foot or so, Pam had written "Zoe Jayne" in beautiful pink letters, finishing with a blue flower on the end of the "e" in Jayne. On the fourth wall -the one they'd left without a stripe- she'd painted two large flowers, one blue, one purple. On the bottom right corner of that wall, she'd painted "ZJH" in purple.

As he entered, Pam froze.

"Do you like it?" She asked.

He nodded. "It's wonderful, Pam..." he answered, rather breathless. "I can't even begin to tell you... how amazing it is."

She wiped her hands on her jeans, then began to roll up the plastic tarp that protected the carpet. "Well, I'm finished, so I'll go now."

As she began to leave, Jim grabbed her arm. "Hey..." He could feel her reluctance to be pulled in again, but she allowed herself to remain, which he was thankful for. "Please... don't be upset."

"And why not?" She asked angrily.

"Because I never meant to hurt you." When she snorted disdainfully at the meager response, he grew defensive. "I didn't! I wanted to be with you, Pam, but you pushed me away!"

She dropped the tarp and didn't even apologize when it splattered paint on Jim's shoes. "Oh, and I suppose that's what drove you to Vegas, caused you to drink and get some stranger knocked up!"

"Don't say knocked up." He answered defensively.

She pulled from his grasp. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I offend the image of your perfect little wifey?"

"Come on; don't be like that. I did what I had to."

"No... what you had to do was give me time to sort out this whole infertile thing, and you were too selfish to do that without wallowing in self-pity and misery." Her hand clapped over her mouth, as if she realized the sting of her words too late.

And sting they did; they hit Jim like a thousand knives to the heart.

He took a deep breath; when he spoke, his voice was calm and controlled. "I messed up and I have to live with it. I screwed up what we had and had to let you go. Don't you think I know that? I live every day knowing that I will never love another woman like I loved you, knowing that most of my heart will always belong to you..." He looked down at his hands and clenched his fists as his wedding band caught the light. "But I have to let you go; it's not fair for you or for me, but I can't be a good husband or father if I spend every day..." His voice trailed off, his composure betrayed as his voice cracked under the weight of threatening tears. Through clenched teeth, he managed to say, "For the sake of Kelsey, and for Zoe... I have no choice."

Pam didn't say a word as she gathered her tarp again and went to the door. She paused as she was about to leave, her back towards him as she asked in a whisper, "Do you love her?"

It was a question he'd been dreading from her. And it was a question she needed to have answered. He knew it. So, with a soft voice and gentle words, he spoke.

"I think I might. Or I could, if I let myself."

Her heard her breathe in sharply, and from the shaking of her shoulders, could see that she was crying. Jim placed a hand on her shoulder and kissed her hair, breathing in the scent so familiar to him as he whispered to her.

"I'll miss you, Pam."

She didn't speak for several long minutes, even after he wrapped his arms around her and held her. Finally, she could take no more, and repeated his words.

"I'll miss you, too, Jim." She whispered, then left quickly. From where he stood in the doorway, he heard her get into her car and slam the door, then speed off. He felt it was almost ironic and symbolic; so quickly she'd come into his life, quickly and unexpectedly.

And so quickly, she had to leave.

He'd hurt her. Badly. And he had to live with the consequence.

Maybe he was selfish. Maybe... but he was determined to change. He'd lost Pam because of his problems; he refused to make Kelsey and Zoe suffer, too.

Returning to the garage, Jim rummaged for the large box Kelsey's parents had sent a few weeks before. He carried it to the nursery and set to work immediately. He'd lost one chance at happiness; he would make the most of the second.

Of that, he was sure.

* * *

The door opened; Jim heard it from the nursery, where he was finishing putting together the rocking chair. He screwed the last bolt into place, then put the decorative pillow on the seat and set the chair in the corner. Just a few feet away from it, he placed Kelsey's grandfather's cradle. Kelsey had bought tons of baby sheets and blankets, and Jim covered the mattress with one of each. He heard her footsteps coming up the stairs, so he hurried out of the nursery and met her on the landing.

"Hey," he said brightly.

She smiled at him; the memory of the earlier spat had faded. "Hey." She touched her hair, which had been highlighted and cut to her shoulders. "Do you like it?"

He smiled at her. "I love it. You're beautiful." And he placed a kiss on her lips. When he did not pull away within moments, Kelsey was surprised. As he finally did, she let out a small laugh.

"Is everything all right?" She asked.

Jim nodded, a small, secretive smile on his face. "Everything... is perfect. And I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise? What is it?"

He covered her eyes and led her down the hall to the baby's room. He opened the door and brought her through the doorway before lowering his hand. Then, in a whisper, he said, "All right... look."

She opened her eyes, and immediately let out a small cry of joy.

"Oh, Jim! It's beautiful!" She breathed, bringing her small hand to her mouth as she walked around the room. "I love it. And you have my granddad's cradle! Thank you!" She clapped her hands together excitedly, then froze as she looked at the wall. "Oh my goodness." She touched the purple border, tracing over the name written in pink paint. "Zoe Jayne... Jim... does this mean..." She looked at him, her eyes welling with tears as her voice trailed off.

"You were right. It's a nice name." He said simply. She hurried to him, throwing her arms around his neck; he could feel her tears on his skin as she cried happily. He drew back enough to wipe them away, then said, "And just so you know... Jayne means 'God is gracious'."

"Zoe Jayne... 'Life, God is gracious'..." Her smile widened. "It's perfect. Oh, Jim..." She looked up at him, "I can't wait to be a mommy."

"Me neither. I mean, I can't wait to be a daddy. I'm sorry," he closed his eyes, "I'm a little flustered right now, but I'm just so happy that you're happy with this." He opened his eyes again. "I really wanted you to be happy, and I'm so glad you are."

"Jim, you've always made me happy; you know you don't have to try so hard." Kelsey said softly, taking his hands.

"I know... but I just want to. I don't want you to ever feel like I don't care about you. Because I do."

"I care about you, too, Jim."

He smiled softly. "No, Kelsey... I think what I'm trying to say is..." He sighed deeply. "I... I just think I'm starting to love you."

That sweet smile on her face brightened, and she hugged Jim tightly. After a moment, she whispered, "Jim, I know I've started to love you. As against the odds as our relationship might be... I feel like I've found something special with you."

He held her close, taking in that perfect moment; he wanted to remember it. The way she smelled, the sound of her breathing, her little tears rolling down her beautiful face, the stirring of her belly as Zoe Jayne Halpert kicked happily within.

They had been married. By law, they were a family.

And now, at last, they began to feel like one.

But Jim would be lying if he said he didn't still see Pam's face when he closed his eyes. He remembered her vividly, as if she were real enough to touch...

He hoped it would fade in time.


	5. Part 5

A/N: All right, before I start anything else, I need to inform you, the reader, of some news: I'm going to be very busy in the next few months because a)I'm planning my wedding (yay!) and b) I'm graduating from college (yay again!) So, this is the last part of **Vegas Vacation**, but fiction containing Jim/Kelsey/Pam triangles may be continued under other titles, so keep an eye out. However, I won't be able to begin writing or update at least until June, so... this is goodbye for now! I've enjoyed myself, and I hope you have, too. Special thanks to reviewers: Elly10, Kellie Stults, ameliabedilia88, SadieJ, NaomiLovesNathan, lmt9549, Bill Weasley33, tophetangel, reaganmariesmith, SJ1888, Moony44, and daysofourlivesfan88. Also, big thanks to anyone and everyone who has read this story and silently supported it; you're appreciated too!

Thank you all! You've made a dream come true for me!

Love, Jonalyn

**The Office: Vegas Vacation**

**Part 5**

The office was relatively quiet in the mid-morning lull. From her desk, Pam could hear Kevin go to the water cooler for the third time in twenty minutes; that would prove interesting within the hour.

The phones had been relatively quiet, and as she sat, Pam looked at Jim's desk. He wasn't there; an annual sales call had required his attention. She glanced at her calendar; yep, there it was, written in bold Sharpie.

**Black Tuesday

* * *

**

**Pam**

"Black Tuesday is the first Tuesday in September when a certain uppity private school threatens to take their business away. It's always Jim's job to negotiate a new deal with them, and they always want to meet on this specific Tuesday..."

* * *

Around eleven o'clock, the phone rang. Pam answered.

"Dunder-Mifflin, this is Pam."

The caller hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Pam... it's Kelsey. Is Jim there?"

"No." Her reply was short and sweet... maybe not so sweet as it was short, though.

"Oh... does he have his cell phone?"

"He should." Short again.

"Okay... thanks." Kelsey hung up.

Pam returned to work; or, rather, she pretended to return to work. Really, she'd been watching Jeff Dunham on youtube all morning.

What could she say? It had been slow.

Soon, she heard the buzz of a cell phone. When it persisted after several tries, she stood. Sure enough, Jim's cell phone lay next to his chair; Kelsey's name was flashing on the call I.D.

With great reluctance, she picked it up and answered. "Kelsey, it's Pam."

"... He didn't take his phone?"

"I guess not. Would you like to leave a message?" She asked.

"No... no, I just... Pam, I think I'm in labor."

All of Pam's attempts at remaining cool and distant went right out the window. She was instantly filled with concern.

"Oh my God. Are you sure?" She asked.

"I mean, I'm having contractions and they're getting closer and closer together."

"Is it safe for you to drive?"

"I mean, I could... oh, no... damn it..." A series of curse words flowed from Kelsey's mouth. "Are you kidding me? Damn it, damn it..."

"What happened?" Pam finally asked when the swearing ceased and she could hear Kelsey drawing in long, sustained breaths.

"I think my water just broke." Kelsey answered.

Immediately, Pam grabbed her jacket off the coat rack and slipped it on. "Get your hospital bag and all your things together. I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up, then picked up her purse and left Jim's cell phone on his desk. On the main screen, she stuck a post-it note, which read rather simply: "Baby Day! Get to the hospital now!"

As she placed it on his desk, Pam sighed worriedly and faced Michael's office. Now came the hardest part of all.

She knocked on the door, and waited for the all clear before entering. Michael was at his desk, his feet propped up. He was listening to funk music; Pam recognized it as Marky-Mark's "Good Vibrations".

Michael liked to think he was hard-core.

She stifled a laugh, and said to Michael, "I need to leave."

He lowered his feet and leaned forward. "I don't know what you be saying, momma."

Michael's weak attempt at ebonics was both hilarious and horrifying. Pam did her best to remain composed as she spoke again, speaking in small words that were impossible to misunderstand. "I need to leave. Now. There is a big, scary, problem I need to take care of."

He crossed his arms and tilted his chin upwards. "Word to your mother."

She rolled her eyes. "Just give me permission to go, please."

"Whoa, whoa, now don't be like 'dat honey. You get yourself all wound up, but Big Mike just trying to be chill, know what I'm sayin'?"

"Would Big Mike mind stop trying to be hood and speak normally?" She asked.

His eyes narrowed. "Fly girl, why you always try to cramp Big M's style? I'm down, I go wit' 'da flow..." He coughed, his voice lowering into its normal register. "Okay, seriously, that was a step too far." Just like that, Michael was normal again.

Well... as normal as Michael got, anyway.

He looked at Pam. "What's up?"

She bit back a frustrated groan, then stated again, "I need to leave now. There's an emergency."

"What sort of emergency?"

"I'd... rather not say."

"Then... I'd rather you not leave. I want a real reason, Pam."

"Michael, isn't it enough to know that it's an emergency?"

"Not for me," he said, shaking his head. "As far as I'm concerned, we are a family in this office, and families tell each other things. So..." he leaned back in his chair, "either you tell me what this emergency is... or you don't go."

Pam sighed at her options. She supposed she could lie to Michael, tell him something totally absurd... but if Dwight got wind of it, that plan would dwindle pretty quickly. The truth would most definitely get her out of there. And that was the whole point, wasn't it?

She finally spoke. "Kelsey's in labor, and I need to get her to the hospital."

Michael's jaw dropped, and he let out a happy laugh. "Well! I know no better reason for leaving! Let's go now!" He stood, taking his coat off the back of his desk chair.

"What? No. She only needs me." Pam stated.

"Well, that's mighty conceited of you, Pammy." He tweaked her nose. "Oh, what if we made it an office day for everyone? We'll all go the hospital!"

She was growing frantic, and needed to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. She grabbed Michael's arm as he reached his office door. "No... no, don't make it an office day. Jim and Kelsey wouldn't want the company to suffer over something as trivial as childbirth. Really." She sounded noble and dignified as she spoke. "It's what they would want. Honest."

With an angry moan, Michael relented. "You're right. You're absolutely right. Jim's always put this company first. He just loves it so much..." He sighed, then looked at Pam. "All right. You go and take care of Kelsey. I'll hold down the fort here. But, I can't promise you we won't go to the hospital; you know how much the people here care."

She nodded sadly. "It's a risk we'll just have to take," came her whispered reply.

As she turned to leave, Michael wrapped his arms around her and gave her a huge, massive, and incredibly awkward hug. "You give her this. From all of us."

Pam graciously patted his arm. "I will. Of course I will."

* * *

**Pam**

"I probably won't give her the hug... I was there when my sister was having her baby, and her husband tried to hug her. She almost snapped his neck."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Williamsport, Jim tapped a pen nervously on his knee as the business manager and principal of Frank D. Roosevelt Collegiate School discussed the proposed deal. No, Jim was not normally a nervous type, but today was different. It was Black Tuesday, for one, which always set him on edge. Secondly, he always got uncomfortable when it took a client over an hour to reach a decision concerning a deal. Thirdly, the fact the two men were deliberating right in front of him did nothing to put him at ease.

As he awaited their decision, Jim let his mind wander. He and Pam hadn't really spoken since their final conversation almost three months ago. Of course, they put on a friendly face at work and forced civility, but every time Kelsey came to visit, she glared at Jim angrily. Really, really angrily. Like, if looks could kill...

Well, maybe not kill. If looks could castrate was more like it.

And then there was Kelsey. Sweet, adorable Kelsey who was trying her hand at the housewife thing, and had so far succeeded in rearranging Jim's sock drawer and canceling his subscription to Xbox live. Yes, he understood that he didn't need it; the fact was, he wanted it. What was the point in playing Guitar Hero III if you couldn't go online and show off your rank?

It was one action that Jim, outwardly, just shrugged off; canceling the subsrciption would save them money, which was important to both of them. So, he sacrificed his pride and bragging rights to benefit his wife and child. He did it begrudgingly, but he did it all the same.

It was when the business manager cleared his throat that Jim broke out of his daydreaming state. Re-focusing on the task, Jim asked, "Are we ready to make a deal?"

With a curt nod, the principal said yes.

* * *

As it neared noon, Pam pulled into Nesbitt Memorial Hospital in Kingston. Kelsey had had the sense to call ahead and inform the staff of her arrival, and as Pam pulled up to the curb, two nurses helped her out of the car and sat her in a wheelchair. At Kelsey's request, they waited until Pam parked the car before entering the hospital.

"Sorry, Pam. I just didn't want to go in alone," Kelsey whispered in a soft, helpless tone.

The nurses checked Kelsey into the system, then got her into a room. After changing into a gown (Pam waited in the hallway for that part), Kelsey got into the bed, and they hooked her up to the monitors. By this time, it was twelve-thirty, and there was no sign of Jim.

Kelsey looked at Pam. "Is Jim coming?" She asked.

At that, Pam tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm sure he's on his way."

* * *

Well, he was almost on his way. An accident on the interstate had caused traffic to come to a dead halt. He'd closed the deal at eleven-thirty. Now, near one o'clock, Jim was still twenty minutes away from the office. As he pulled into Scranton, he made a stop at a cafe, figuring he'd treat himself to a nice lunch for surviving Black Tuesday.

* * *

One o'clock turned into two o'clock, and still no sign of Jim. As Kelsey's contractions got closer and closer together, she grew frantic.

"Where is Jim?!" She asked desperately.

Pam had no reply.

* * *

At two-thirty, Jim pulled into the parking lot, and was surprised to see that Pam's car was missing. Come to think of it, so was Michael's. And Dwight's. And... well, everyone's.

To say he was confused would be an understatement. He was even worried. Still, he walked into the office building and rode the elevator to the Dunder-Mifflin floor. As he opened the door, he was stunned to see that it was empty. Not a person was in sight.

Oh, but that was changing. Someone stirred near the back of the office, and Jim could hear the sound of chair wheels squeaking as the person stood and walked towards Jim.

"Hey, Jim, what are you doing here?" Toby asked.

"Um... trying to work. Where is everybody?" He replied.

Toby sighed, shaking his head. "They all went to the hospital to see Kelsey-"

"What?"

"- I said we needed to respect your privacy. Childbirth's a big deal-"

"-Wait, she's in labor?" Jim was stunned. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Toby shrugged. "Kelsey apparently tried to call you, but you left your cell phone here."

Jim looked at his desk. Sure enough, there sat his cell phone with a yellow sticky-note on it. He read the note, then tossed it away. He had a score of text messages from Kelsey, each reflecting desperation and worry.

"Shit." Jim said, turning and running towards the door.

As it slammed, Toby sighed. "Bye."

* * *

At three-fifteen, Kelsey's doctor looked at her nervously.

"The baby's heart rate is dropping," she stated quietly.

Clutching Pam's hand, Kelsey asked, "What does that mean?"

The doctor whispered to one of the nurses, who immediately left the room. The remaining nurse began to make adjustments as the doctor spoke again. "It means... that we need to operate as soon as possible. You are not dialated enough to deliver, and if we wait too long, we risk brain-damage."

"Brain-damage?" Both Kelsey and Pam repeated. Instantly, Kelsey began to cry; Pam rubbed her back, trying to console her.

"It's going to be okay, Kelsey," she whispered soothingly.

"Where's Jim? I want Jim! I want my husband!" she sobbed. Soon, Pam withdrew her hand and felt in her pocket for her cell phone. Running into the hall, she dialed Jim's number. Within two rings, he picked up.

"Pam, thank God. How's Kelsey?" He asked.

She spoke in a low, serious tone. "She's doing pretty rough, Jim. They're about to operate."

"What? No. Try to stall them; I'll be there in five minutes."

"Jim... I can't stall them. They need to get Zoe out now." She said softly. "Her heart rate is dropping."

She heard Jim breathe in sharply, and he was quiet for several long moments. When he spoke again, his voice was shaking. "I'll be there soon." With that, he hung up.

Pam closed her phone just as she was approached by the last person she wanted to see.

"Hey, how are things going in there?" Michael asked. He was holding a large bouquet of balloons, and a giant stuffed teddy bear. He wore his typical silly grin, and was utterly oblivious to the seriousness of the situation.

Pam wanted to keep it that way; the only thing worse than an overzealous Michael was a worried Michael.

"Things are going fine," she lied. "I'll let you know when she has the baby."

"Good. Good! Ahhh, I can't wait!" Michael said with a laugh, returning to his seat in the waiting room.

* * *

They were in the operating room, Pam holding Kelsey's hand as they lifted the drape. Kelsey was no longer in any form of pain, which they both counted as a mercy.

But the absence of Jim was still enough to bring her to tears.

"I can't believe he's missing this," she whispered.

Pam squeezed her hand, and though she couldn't see it, smiled at Kelsey through the operating mask. "It's going to be okay, Kels."

* * *

Jim hadn't even bothered to lock his car as he ran from the hospital parking lot into the maternity ward. He stopped at the first nurse's station he saw.

"I'm here for Kelsey Halpert, she's in delivery." He swallowed, trying to regain his breath. "I'm the father. I need to be there."

The nurse, a kind, middle-aged woman, rubbed his arm and smiled. "Calm down, son. We'll get you there. Let's find you some scrubs." She quickly led him down the hall.

Jim got suited up in record time. Carefully, so as not to slide in the hospital booties, Jim hurried down the hallway to the operating room. In doing so, he passed the crowded waiting room, and was surprised to hear someone call his name. Against his better judgment, he turned to look.

"Michael! Michael?" He couldn't believe he was actually seeing his boss. Michael began to walk near him, but he knew every second he lingered, he was missing Zoe's birth. Rather rudely, he hurried away again.

Disappointed, Michael narrowed his eyes. "Right..."

* * *

Jim burst into the delivery room, and everyone looked up.

Including Kelsey.

"Jim." She smiled happily as he walked near her. Pulling down his mask, he kissed her forehead, then replaced the cloth.

"I'm sorry I'm late." He whispered, stroking her hair. Then, looking at Pam, he said, "Thanks, Beesly."

"You're welcome." She replied, taking his presence as a cue to leave. She ripped off the mask and booties as she stepped outside, kneeling in a corner to collect herself.

Meanwhile, Jim watched as the doctors began to operate. He watched, at least, as they made the initial incision... but quickly grew squeamish. So, he was faced with a choice. Either he forced himself to watch until he passed out (and was therefore useless as comfort to Kelsey)... or he could look away. He could practically hear his older brother mocking him, telling him to man up. He risked another look...

"Wow..." Did part of his lunch revisit him then? Either way, he swallowed hard, and said, "That's enough of that..." Then, he looked down at Kelsey. "You all right, honey?"

She shook her head. "I will be when I know that Zoe's all right."

He stroked her hair, taking one of her hand's in his. "She will be. It's going to be fine."

He said it confidently, as if there were no doubt in his mind... but he looked away quickly to hide the tears in his eyes.

The minutes of waiting seemed to stretch into hours. Jim knew they hadn't, but he was growing anxious, and he knew Kelsey was too.

"Is something wrong?" She kept asking, but he didn't know how to respond; above all, he didn't want to ask a doctor, for fear that something might, indeed, be terribly wrong.

Finally, the most blessed sound of all met their ears. A baby's cry, sharp and shrill, piercing the tense air. Immediately, Kelsey began to smile as the doctor lifted the baby up for her to see.

"Congratulations; you have a little girl," she said.

Jim cut the umbilical cord, then watched as the doctor handed the newly born Zoe Jayne to a nurse to be cleaned and weighed. While the nurse worked, Jim looked down at Kelsey. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Jim, you're a daddy." She whispered with a smile.

_Daddy._ Jim Halpert was a daddy. Of the many things he knew himself to be -a friend, a coworker, a lover, and a husband- it was the job "daddy" that he thought would always elude him.

Yet, there he was, holding the hand of his wife, gazing with rapt attention as his newborn daughter was wrapped in a blanket before being placed in his arms.

James Halpert was a daddy.

He'd never been more proud.

* * *

The staff of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton were slouched in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. It was nearing five o'clock, and most intended to leave once that time struck; after that, their obligation to co-workers was ended, Michael be damned.

At 4:59 p.m., Stanley stood and put on his jacket. Michael immediately intervened.

"Whoa, what do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"I'm going home. It's five o'clock." Stanley replied stoically. A few other rose to follow his lead, causing Michael to cry out passionately.

"Whoa! This is one of our own we're talking about! And you can't wait a few hours on the most joyous day of their lives?!" He exclaimed.

"No," Angela stated, slipping into her windbreaker and slinging her purse over her shoulder. As she did, Jim came down the hall, wearing the largest grin they'd ever seen on his face.

Michael immediately spoke. "Any word?"

"Any word?" He laughed. "More than a word! We have a little girl!"

There was a genuine cheer from the staff, and high fives from a lot of the men. Meredith offered him a bottle of wine, which he refused. She was happy to take it back. A few others -primarily Kelly- asked for details, which Jim graciously shared. Zoe Jayne Halpert was a healthy eight pounds even, 16" long, had a head of thick brown hair, and her mother's blue eyes.

"Can I see her?" Michael asked.

Jim smiled, but shook his head. "Nah, we kinda... we just want some time with her by ourselves."

"Oh. Oh, I see. Then I guess I just want to keep these balloons and toys for myself." He retorted, grabbing the bouquet of balloons and tucking the teddy bear under his arm. It was a threat that was ultimately lost on Jim, as he was searching the crowd for the one person he didn't see.

"Where's Pam?"

* * *

Where was Pam?

Pam had sat in that corner just outside the operating room door. She waited, oh so patiently and quietly, until she heard the sweet sound of an infant's first cry. She heard as Jim laughed, clapping his hands together in joy and disbelief. She could just picture his face as he laid eyes on his little girl. She hadn't seen her, but she knew that Zoe Jayne would be beautiful.

Her father was, after all.

In time, Pam stood and removed her scrubs, leaving them in a pile next to the door. Jim had a daughter now, and a life to get on with. She wasn't bitter or jealous anymore; she respected Jim deeply for his commitment to doing the right thing.

And the right thing may not be easy, she knew... but that didn't make it any less right.  


* * *

Zoe Jayne Halpert was born at 4:14 pm on September 2nd. September 3rd, Kelsey awoke in her hospital bed to a strange and pleasing sight.

She'd expected Jim to sleep on the window seat; she would've been fine if he shared the reclining bed with her. Instead, the arrangement he'd chosen was one that both amused and pleased her.

Jim sat next to Kelsey, his hand entwined with her's. The other held baby Halpert against his chest. He was staring at her with watchful, wondering eyes, absolutely in awe of the little life he had helped to create, and was now blessed to be responsible for.

The smallest sigh alerted Jim of Kelsey's awareness.

"Hey, you're awake." He said, standing and taking a seat on the bed with her. He kicked off his shoes, bringing his feet onto the mattress as he lay next to her. He lay Zoe between them so they could both watch her sleep.

Kelsey was more concerned with her husband's appearance at that point. He was disheveled, the dark circles under his eyes hinting that he had not rested well, if at all. Yet, his eyes themselves reflected no exhaustion; instead, they spoke of joy she'd never seen upon his face before.

In a moment, she asked him about it. "Did you sleep at all?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I... I actually didn't. I was watching you guys... or girls, rather."

A satisfied smile crept over Kelsey's face, though she tried to hide it. "Why?" She asked.

His answer was simple and easy, but for some reason, it brought tears to his eyes to say it.

"Because yesterday was the first day that we were a family... and I didn't want to miss a moment of it."

So soft and beautiful was his reply, Kelsey couldn't help the words she breathed next.

"I love you so much." She whispered. Instantly, she regretted them. Not because she didn't mean it. She'd never meant anything more in her life...

It was her first time saying those words so positively. She'd always begun such statements with, "I think", or, "I might". Now, there was no doubt in her mind, and no question in her statement.

She loved him; she'd made it perfectly clear.

In reply, Jim kissed her softly, and caressed her arm as he took her hand, their fingers entwining just beneath where their daughter lay. Then, he whispered, "I love you, too."

And for the first time, he was sure he did. He was no longer beginning to love her, or starting to feel like he could... he genuinely, absolutely, positively, and without a doubt... loved Kelsey...

No, life had not gone the way he expected, or even the way he wanted. Yet, as he held his little girl, he no longer wished to take any of it back. Vacationing in Vegas may have been the biggest mistake he'd ever made... but it was a mistake he wouldn't change for anything in the world.

He kissed Zoe's cheek, then the lips of his wife. No, it wasn't a perfect, storybook ending...

... but it was damn close. And that was enough.


End file.
